An Unexpected Twist
by XLightfoot
Summary: Moiraine and Siuan follow a lead on finding the Dragon Reborn, but what they find is nothing what they expected. How will a story fare without the characters that made it possible?


**Moiraine Damodred and Siuan Sanche are not my creations and belong fully and entirely to Robert Jordan. I am only a delighted fan in the world of the Wheel of Time.**

**An Unexpected Twist**

-XLightfoot-

"Moiraine, are you sure about this?" Siuan asked as she forced herself into the carriage. Moiraine sighed heavily as she joined Siuan and the carriage lurched into motion.

"I told you not to use my name," Moiraine snapped but Siuan only stared at her unaffected. Moiraine tried to ignore her friend's expressionless stare, but to no avail.

"It's the only way to be sure," Moiraine said irritably, she hated that Siuan had a way of braking her resolve, back home nobody ever asked questions about what she was up to and Moiraine never answered if they had. But ever since she had come to the White Tower things have changed, and not all for the good.

"Suki, do I ever do anything without valid cause?"

Siuan looked amused. "Who's Suki?"

"You," Moiraine snapped again, fists clutching the richly decorated blue gown she got once for one of her mother's fancy balls. Siuan was dressed in a plain grey dress fit for a maid working in the kitchens. They had both agreed that they had to come disguised; two novice Aes Sedai won't be easily missed sneaking through Tar Valon.

Moiraine settled a forced calm expression on her friend. "You are Suki, my servant and I'm the Lady Alys, the daughter of one of Tar Valon's nobles."

Siuan sniggered but said nothing to show that she disagreed with Moiraine's disguise. "I do look like a maid, don't I?"

Moiraine ignored her. "What did the woman say exactly?" She asked scanning the buildings and faces the carriage passed as it sped down the streets. She could hear an audible sigh from Siuan. Moiraine suppressed another surge of irritation. She had not been the one who was told of the supposed dragon reborn living here in Tar Valon; she wished she were but for some insane reason the woman had decided to go to Siuan. Moiraine closed her eyes, that woman couldn't have chosen a more clouded woman to have entrusted the information with.

"I already told you, she came to me in the lines where we held the interviews. She said that her neighbours had a child, a son, who was born on the exact day as the dragon reborn and that she had felt and seen weird things happen around the house."

"What kind of things?" Moiraine asked warily. "A man... or woman, only shows signs of being able to touch saidar or saidin when they're at least twelve and it manifests, very rarely, in wilders at the age of around eighteen."

"What she described sounded very much like weaving but I cannot be sure," Siuan admitted. "It could be a rogue or a wilder who had a child?"

Moiraine shook her head. "Then the strange things would have happened before. Can a baby boy really be able to touch saidin?"

Moiraine felt Siuan shivered next to her and felt herself grow a bit colder. A man being able to weave is grave enough and learning that a boy can channel from birth is something to fear.

After a moment of silence Moiraine turned away from the passing buildings and people to glance at Siuan, her expression uncertain.

"What should we do if this boy _is_ the Dragon Reborn?"

Siuan's eyes wavered then her head shook from side to side. "I don't know, Moiraine, but I'm fairly sure that the Red Ajah will be determined to have him stilled and the Dark One will be free to rise from Tarmon Gai'don."

Moiraine nodded. "So what should we do?"

"Do you really think it's him?" Siuan asked not really convinced. "It could be just like all the others."

"Could be," Moiraine agreed. The carriage suddenly slowed and stopped in front of a shabby looking house. The carriage dipped as the driver jumped off and opened the door.

"Lady Alys, hope the drive was not too uncomfortable," The driver said smiling broadly. Moiraine sighed ignoring him as she climbed out taking his hand if only to be polite. Siuan beamed at the man but his eyes were only for the lady not the maid.

Moiraine scanned the area, before her eyes settled on the little house. It looked dark, run-down and eerie. Smoke rose from its blackened chimney and parts of the roof looked on the verge of collapse. Uneasiness crept into Moiraine's stomach causing her to shiver. Something was off; she had never been near a man who could channel maybe this was how it felt when one did, like how she could see the glow of saidar around a woman?

"Are you sure this is it?" Moiraine asked when Siuan emerged from the carriage behind her. Siuan nodded taking a few steps closer to the house, past Moiraine.

"This is what most homes looked like where I came from," Siuan joked, sniggering. The driver looked suspiciously at the lady and maid's relaxed behaviour as if he would have expected a sharp question and a polite answer. Moiraine stuffed a gold coin in his hand and waved him off.

"Do you feel that too?" Siuan asked shivering, as the driver sped off. Moiraine nodded and hesitantly walked to the front door. Her hand shook slightly as she knocked on the door. Nothing happened. Again she knocked then a distant noise reached out towards them; like somebody knocking over a pot. Footsteps sounded towards the door then silence before a rasping voice sifted from the other side of the door, barely a whisper.

"Who is it?" The woman's voice asked roughly. Moiraine's throat closed and she had to clear it before answering.

"I am Lady Alys, and this is my servant Suki. May I ask you to let us in? I have a few questions about your son."

"What questions?" The woman asked still in a whisper.

"When and where he was born, I don't know if you have heard about the search for new borns by the Aes Sedai?"

"I've heard," The woman snapped. "Are you Aes Sedai?"

Moiraine glanced at Siuan who shook her head. Moiraine nodded. Telling the woman they were would only make her more defensive and possibly refuse them entry.

"No," Moiraine began in a soothing tone, "we're just here to help with the search."

There was a moment of silence then a lock clicked and the door swung open to reveal a haggard looking woman. She looked no older than they were, with long filthy blond hair, a plain grey dress and a silver band around her neck. The woman's eyes were large as if afraid or surprised. She stepped aside lowering her gaze to the floor as Moiraine and Siuan stepped inside.

"I'm sorry," The woman mumbled, barely audible making Moiraine and Siuan turn.

"What did you say–" Moiraine asked politely but Siuan's gasp made her trail off. Moiraine turned towards her friend. Siuan was staring at the woman in confusion.

"You are the one who came to me... you're the one who told me about your neighbour. Are we in the wrong place?"

"No, you are exactly where we wanted you." Suddenly twelve women emerged from shadows and from around corners. Moiraine immediately reached to embrace saidar but an invisible wall kept her from the warm and pleasant source. Panic overwhelmed her but she tried fiercely to keep it from showing on her face as she stared at the one who had spoken. A woman with a tight black braid wearing richly decorated clothes. The right side of her head was shaven bare and painted with blue and gold forms.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Moiraine asked her voice steady and clear to her total surprise. The woman laughed heartily, two women who had been standing just behind her stepping forward. Both were clutching similar silver bands to the one the woman wore who had opened the door.

"I don't think you are in any position to ask questions," The woman said as the two woman placed the bands around Moiraine's and Siuan's necks. Moiraine made as to retort but then unbearable pain ripped through her body as if she had fallen into a hole filled with thorns. Her scream echoed into the silence around the little shabby house but then something rapped itself around her mouth, something unseen, which took away her scream. Tears spilled from her eyes as she silently screamed in agony. Siuan took a step towards the woman, who was still laughing, her fists clenched tightly but then she too began to scream in silence. Moiraine and Siuan both collapsed to the wooden floorboards as the pain continued without relief, instead it grew steadily worse.

When finally the pain vanished Moiraine and Siuan was lying on the wooden floor, panting for breath as they slipped in and out of consciousness.

"My lady, I thought they said they weren't Aes Sedai how is the leash working then?"

"They lied, Merath, this one was the Heir..." Moiraine's mind slipped into darkness and she fought to bring it back, her strength failing fast. "... and although this one is but a sailor's daughter she is one of the strongest novices in the White Tower. Both of them will make exceptional daman..." Disbelief dragged Moiraine back into unconsciousness but again she fought back. "... foresaw their part in guiding the young Dragon Reborn. Moiraine will protect him and be at his side from the beginning whilst Siuan will keep the White Tower from finding him as the Amyrlin Seat. Let's see what will happen to him now that both of them are out of the story?"

The women in the room began to laugh. Moiraine struggled fruitlessly against the darkness as horror gripped her at what the woman had said. Somehow they knew that she would have found him, she would have protected him and now she wouldn't. Moiraine's mind clouded, the fogginess threatening to drag her away. Will the Dragon Reborn be strong enough to survive what is to come without her and Siuan? Moiraine felt her strength fail and her mind went blank only three words echoing inside the void.

"I am sorry."


End file.
